Inking mechanism for rotary printing presses



April 2, 1935.

H. M. BARBER INKING MECHANISM FOR ROTARY PRINTI NG PRESSES Filed Dec. 21, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR gswzqm ATTORNEYS April 2, 1935. H. M. BARBER INKING MECHANISM FOR ROTARY PRINTING PRESSES Filed Dec. 21, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 'flmunnuu lll ll INVENTOR ATTORNEYS P f 1935- H. M. BARBER 1,996,607 INKING MECHANISM FOR ROTARY PRINTING PRESSES Filed Dec. 21, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTdR W ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 2, 1935 UNITED STATES INKING MECHANISM FOR. ROTARY PRINTING PRESSES Howard M. Barber, Pawcatuck, Conn., assignor to C. B. Cottrell & Sons Company, Westerly, R. 1., a corporation of Delaware Application December 21, 1933, Serial No. 703,368

8 Claims.

In black printing, light printing surfaces are often located on the form cylinder next to heavy printing surfaces. This arrangement renders it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to properly regulate the ink fed from a single ink fountain extending across the press because of the dimculty encountered in properly adjusting the opening between the fountain roll blade and the fountain roll, especially when using a full length ductor roll which, of necessity, must contact with the fountain roll for the same interval of time throughout its entire length.

Again, it is often necessary when printing in colors with a different colored ink fon each l5 circumferential row of plates, to use either a sectional ink fountain or adjustable ink fountain dividers, both of which means have serious limitations. due to the fact that a single ink fountain roll is used for the full width of the press, which fountain roll has to be advanced the same distance for all colors, irrespective of the ink supply required.

The object of my invention, therefore, is to provide means for more emciently controlling the ink fed to a plurality of printing surfaces arranged in different transverse vertical planes along their form cylinder, said means consisting in a common inking mechanism, including a plurality of sources of ink supply and means for independently regulating the amount of ink fed from each source of ink supply to its particular printing surface.

My invention more particularly comprises the arrangement of the sources of ink supply and the provision of means whereby the throw of the ink fountain rolls and the amount of opening of the ink fountain blades'are independently regulated for the several printing surfaces, to en-. sure the proper supply of ink from each of the several ink fountains.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which 45 Fig. 1 represents in side elevation so much of a rotary printing press as is necessary to illustrate my invention, one complete inking mechanism being shown;

Fig. 2 represents an end view of the same;

Fix. 3 represents a detail plan view of the form cylinder; and

Fig. 4 represents a section taken in the planes of the line IV-IV of Fig. 2.

The form cylinder i is shown as having four 65 printing surfaces 2, located in different trans- .verse horizontal plane.

mon cross shaft 25 is provided for the crank discs verse vertical planes. This form cylinder is suitably mounted in the main frame 3.

The inking mechanism to be immediately described is suitably mounted in the auxiliary frame 4. This inking mechanism is shown as com- .3 prising four ink fountains 5, arranged in the same transverse vertical planes as their respective forms 2. The first and third of these ink fountains are shown as being located in alinement in an upper transverse horizontal plane 10 and the second and fourth ink fountains are shown as being located in alinement in a lower transverse horizontal plane in staggered relationship to the ink fountains in the upper trans- Each of the ink fountains is provided with the usual fountain roll 6, the adjustable blade I and the adjusting screws 8. The shaft 9 of each fountain roll 3 is provided with the usual ratchet l0, engaged by a pawl H carried by the upper arm l2 of a rock lever loosely mounted on the shaft 9, the other arm l3 of which rock lever is connected by a rod It to a crank disc l5 by the usual bolt 16 and nut ll,

whereby the end of the rod may be adjusted toward and away from the axis of rotation of the crank disc l5 to vary the throw of the pawl H, in the usual manner.

In the present instance, the means for ads justing the throw of the ink fountain rolls of two of the ink fountains are located at one side ofthe machine and the means for adjusting the throw of the ink fountain rolls for the other two ink fountains are located at the opposite side of the machine. I

The ductor roll [3 of each ink fountain is carried by one arm l3 of a rock lever pivoted at 20,

the other arm 2| of which lever is provided with a stud or roller22 held in engagement with the face of a rotary cam 23 by a spring 24. A com- I5 and cams 23 of the two upper sources of ink supply and a similar common cross shaft is provided for the two lower sources of ink supply.

The remaining portion of the inking mechanism may include any suitable combination of ink cylinders, distributing rollers, carrying rollers, vibrating rollers and form rollers, the combination herein shown comprising the ink cylinders 26, 21, 28, the ink distributing rollers 29, 30, 3|, 32, 33, the ink carrying rollers 34, 35, the vilaaatirlig rollers 36, 31 and the form rollers 33, 33,

The upper and lower shafts 25 which carry the crank discs i5 and ductor roller actuatingcams 23 may be driven in any suitable manner, as, for 65 instance, from the form cylinder I through the train of gears 42, 43, 44, 45, 4 6, 41, 48,49,511, 5|.

From the above description it will be seen that by my invention it is possible to independently regulate the amount of ink fed from each of the ink fountains by adjusting the throw of each ink fountain roll and by adjusting the opening between each ink fountain blade and its fountain roll.

It is evident that various changes may be resorted to in the construction, form and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence I do not intend to be limited to the particular embodiment herein shown and described, but

What I claim is: i

1. In a rotary printing press, a form cylinde having printing surfaces located in different transverse vertical planes and an inking mechanism therefor including a plurality of sources of ink supply arranged in upper and lower transversely alined rows and means located at opposite sides of the press for independently regulating the amount of ink fed from each source of ink supply.

2. In a rotary printing press, a form cylinder having printing surfaces located in different transverse vertical planes and an inking mechanism therefor including a plurality of sources of ink supply arranged in upper and lower transversely alined rows and in staggered relationship and means located at opposite sides of the press for independently regulating the amount of ink fed from each source of ink supply.

3. In a rotary printing press, a form cylinder having printing surfaces located in different transverse vertical planes and an inking mechanism therefor, including a plurality of ink fountains, their fountain rolls and coacting blades, means for independently varying the throw of the ink fountain rolls and means for adjustingjhe blade openings, to regulate the amount of ink fed from each source of ink supply.

4. In a rotary printing press, a form cylinder having printing surfaces located in different transverse vertical planes and an inking mechanism therefor, including a plurality of ink fountains, their fountain rolls and coacting blades, means located at opposite sides of the press for independently varying the throw of the ink fountain rolls and means for adiusting the blade openings, to regulate the amount of ink fed from each source of ink supply.

5. In a rotary printing press,aform cylinder having printing surfaces located in different transverse vertical planes and an inking mechanism therefor, including a plurality of transversely alined ink fountains, their fountain rolls and coacting blades, and means for independently varying the throw of the fountain rolls to regulate the amount of ink fed from each ink fountain.

6. In a rotary printing press, a form cylinder having printing surfaces located in different transverse vertical planes and an inking mechanism therefor, including a plurality of ink fountains arranged in different transverse vertical planes, their fountain rolls and coacting blades, and means for independently varying the throw of the fountain rolls to regulate the amount of ink fed from each ink fountain.

7. In a rotary printing press, a form cylinder having printing surfaces located in different transverse vertical planes and an inking mechanism therefor, including a plurality of ink fountains arranged in upper and lower transversely alined rows, their fountain rolls and coacting blades, and'means for independently varying the throw of the fountain rolls to regulate the amount of ink fed from each ink fountain.

8 In a rotary printing press, a form cylinder having printing surfaces located in different transverse vertical planes and an inking mechanism therefor, including a plurality of ink fountains arranged in upper and lower transversely alined rows and in staggered order, their fountain rolls and coacting blades, and means for independently varying the throw of the fountain rolls to regulate the amount of ink fed from each ink fountain.

HOWARD M. BARBER. 

